arian.suresh
Oriental horsefly (1/2)
Tabanus striatus complex, Family: Tabanidae
Large 2cm male horsefly
Tabanus striatus complex involves 3 species confused under the same name. The true Tabanus striatus from Pakistan through India and Sri Lanka to China, Tabanus partitus in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Micronesia and Tabanus triceps from Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan.
Tabanus is a genus of biting horseflies of the family Tabanidae. Females have scissor-like mouthparts that aim to cut the skin. The horsefly can then lap up the blood. Horseflies of this genus are known to be potential vectors of anthrax, worms and trypanosomes. The genus contains hundreds of species.
Horse-flies are true flies in the family Tabanidae in the insect order Diptera. They are often large and agile in flight, and the females bite animals, including humans, to obtain blood. They prefer to fly in sunlight, avoiding dark and shady areas, and are inactive at night. They are found all over the world except for some islands and the polar regions.
Adult horse-flies feed on nectar and plant exudates. The males have weak mouthparts and only the females bite animals to obtain enough protein from blood to produce eggs. The mouthparts of females are formed into a stout stabbing organ with two pairs of sharp cutting blades, and a spongelike part used to lap up the blood that flows from the wound. The larvae are predaceous and grow in semiaquatic habitats.
Female horse-flies can transfer blood-borne diseases from one animal to another through their feeding habit. In areas where diseases occur, they have been known to carry equine infectious anaemia virus, some trypanosomes, the filarial worm Loa loa, anthrax among cattle and sheep, and tularemia. As well as making life outdoors uncomfortable for humans, they can reduce growth rates in cattle and lower the milk output of cows if suitable shelters are not provided.
Oriental horsefly (1/2)
Tabanus striatus complex, Family: Tabanidae
Large 2cm male horsefly
Tabanus striatus complex involves 3 species confused under the same name. The true Tabanus striatus from Pakistan through India and Sri Lanka to China, Tabanus partitus in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Micronesia and Tabanus triceps from Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan.
Tabanus is a genus of biting horseflies of the family Tabanidae. Females have scissor-like mouthparts that aim to cut the skin. The horsefly can then lap up the blood. Horseflies of this genus are known to be potential vectors of anthrax, worms and trypanosomes. The genus contains hundreds of species.
Horse-flies are true flies in the family Tabanidae in the insect order Diptera. They are often large and agile in flight, and the females bite animals, including humans, to obtain blood. They prefer to fly in sunlight, avoiding dark and shady areas, and are inactive at night. They are found all over the world except for some islands and the polar regions.
Adult horse-flies feed on nectar and plant exudates. The males have weak mouthparts and only the females bite animals to obtain enough protein from blood to produce eggs. The mouthparts of females are formed into a stout stabbing organ with two pairs of sharp cutting blades, and a spongelike part used to lap up the blood that flows from the wound. The larvae are predaceous and grow in semiaquatic habitats.
Female horse-flies can transfer blood-borne diseases from one animal to another through their feeding habit. In areas where diseases occur, they have been known to carry equine infectious anaemia virus, some trypanosomes, the filarial worm Loa loa, anthrax among cattle and sheep, and tularemia. As well as making life outdoors uncomfortable for humans, they can reduce growth rates in cattle and lower the milk output of cows if suitable shelters are not provided.